Having a food processor has changed the way I cook. I can now make recipes that I couldn't before. My regular blender just didn't cut it (literally) and doesn't have the same chopping/pureeing power as a food processor.
This week I made pesto for the first time. It was both easy and delicious. There are so many ways to use pesto - mix it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches or panini's, use it as a dip for bread, put it in salads, or make it with chicken. The possibilities are endless.
Traditionally it's made with pine nuts, but I used slivered almonds instead (which were a fraction of the price). It gave it a nice texture and I hardly noticed the difference.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 - 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (depending how thick you want it)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds
salt to taste
Directions:
Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until desired thickness. Add more olive oil as needed. Use immediately or store in refrigerator. May need to add olive oil after refrigeration.
That's all there is to it! I made the beautiful pasta dish pictured above with:
half of the pesto
spinach leaves
1 small tomato (diced, skin removed)
cooked shrimp
Girelle pasta (or other textured cut that can hold sauce)
a sprinkling of feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley
A delicious fresh summer meal!
This recipe is brought to you courtesy of my friend Kristy. I recently made it for Sunday lunch with friends and it was a hit. Kristy, you have excellent taste. Actually, your Aunt Mary has excellent taste because she made it for you. And the circle of recipe sharing continues. If you're in the mood for a lighter pasta dish with the flavors of fresh herbs paired with spinach, you'll love this. It's surprisingly filling and great the next day too. This recipe serves about 8, so you may want to divide accordingly.
Ingredients:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
¼ white pepper (or regular pepper works too)
2 LB Cheese Tortellini
5 scallions, chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley
10-12 fresh basil leaves, torn
Parmesan or Romano cheese
Baby spinach or other greens
Directions:
Whisk 3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Add 1 or 2 chopped garlic cloves
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp white pepper
Toss with 2LB cooked cheese tortellini drained and cooled a bit.
Add 5 chopped scallions
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
10-12 chopped fresh basil leaves
Toss all with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Arrange on a platter lined with fresh baby spinach or other greens and top with more grated cheese.
Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe with me Kristy. You rock AND you have a beautiful new kitchen! Maybe you should send me some before and after photos so I can talk more about it...hint, hint :)
I was inspired to make this fresh and easy pasta primavera dish while watching Jacques Pepin's cooking show, Fast Food My Way on Create TV.
Apparently this charming french chef has been around forever and he shares quick meals that even beginner cooks can make. His pasta primavera recipe included anchovies, but I left them out. You can use any fresh vegetables you like. Here's what I did.
Pasta Primavera
Ingredients:
1 cup (thawed) peas
sliced fresh mushrooms (1/2 -1 cup)
sliced grape tomatoes (1/2 - 1 cup)
1 lb pasta (I have made it with angel hair and rotini, use whatever you like)
grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
1 minced garlic clove OR garlic powder (fresh garlic gives a LOT of flavor, powder is more mild)
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (if you like)
Directions:
Boil water and cook pasta according to directions, reserving 1-2 cups of pasta water. Slice tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic (if using 1 clove, mince very small), and add to a bowl. Add thawed peas. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper, garlic powder (if not using 1 clove) and red pepper flakes (if you like some heat). Add a generous amount of olive oil to coat everything (more is better). Mix everything together and microwave for 1-2 minutes just to bring it to luke warm temperature (you don't want it to be cold). Sprinkle a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese on the vegetable mixture and add about a cup of pasta water and mix. Add your drained pasta to the vegetable mixture and toss everything to combine. Add more olive oil if needed. If you have leftovers, add more pasta water to keep from drying out. Serve with parmesan cheese.
